Inaugural ArtsConnect Prize Bridges Art and Community
Regional artists are invited to create a new interdisciplinary work that inspires connection and sparks dialogue
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The arts are an avenue for curiosity at the University of California San Diego, a form of creative inquiry that can have composers paired with oceanographers and visual artists interacting with neuroscientists. These creative links are now growing through a new program, the ArtsConnect Prize, which is designed to strengthen connections with artists across the region.
The $20,000 ArtsConnect Prize is a new biennial award supporting the development of an interdisciplinary work by an emerging or established artist from our binational region. The project will culminate in a weeklong residency and public presentation at the university in October 2027.
UC San Diego has long been a place where artists challenge conventions and employ creativity as a catalyst for innovation. “Our university has a legacy of artists and creators who experiment, cross boundaries and ask bold questions,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “The ArtsConnect Prize extends that energy beyond the university, inviting artists from our region to engage with our creative community and imagine work that could only emerge through this kind of exchange.”
The program is open to emerging and established artists working across all disciplines and based in the San Diego-Tijuana region. Applicants must have at least five years of professional experience and may apply individually or as a collective of up to three people. UC San Diego alumni who graduated at least five years ago are eligible; current UC San Diego faculty, staff and students are not eligible. Members of the UC San Diego community are encouraged to share the opportunity with eligible artists and collectives in their professional and creative networks.
UC San Diego’s arts ecosystem extends across academic departments, internationally recognized collections, galleries and performance venues, as well as programs that connect visiting artists into conversation with students and the wider community. Photos by Erik Jepsen/University Communications.
The prize is a signature program of UC San Diego’s ArtsConnect, which brings together artists, students and communities while expanding opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. UC San Diego’s arts ecosystem extends across academic departments, internationally recognized collections, galleries and performance venues, as well as programs that connect visiting artists into conversation with students and the wider community.
“Some of the most exciting ideas emerge when artists bring different disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing into conversation,” said Cristina Della Coletta, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and co-lead of ArtsConnect. “Through the ArtsConnect Prize, we hope to inspire work that celebrates our shared histories and cultural traditions while drawing on interdisciplinary exchange to imagine new possibilities for the future.”
In addition to the $20,000 unrestricted award, up to $10,000 in university support will be provided for project production, along with campus housing during the week of the residency. Artists will partner with UC San Diego faculty and staff to bring their work to life in one of the university’s art and performance spaces – which can include venues like the Epstein Family Amphitheater, Conrad Prebys Music Concert Hall and Visual Arts Main Gallery. Projects also may be developed in outdoor spaces across the 1,200-acre campus.
Artists are encouraged to submit projects that demonstrate exceptional artistic excellence and interdisciplinary thinking while inspiring connection and community engagement.
“The arts have an extraordinary ability to inspire dialogue, cultivate joy and promote well-being,” said Alysson Satterlund, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life and co-lead of ArtsConnect. “Through this prize, we are creating new opportunities for our students, artists and community members to learn from one another, participate in the creative process and experience the university as a place of connection and discovery.”
The Epstein Family Amphitheater is a state-of-the-art, 2,650-seat performance venue in the heart of UC San Diego.
The ArtsConnect Prize will follow a two-phase application process. Artists are asked to first submit a brief Letter of Intent outlining their proposed project, artistic practice and connection to the goals of the prize. A select group will then be invited to develop full proposals.
The selected artist or collective will develop their project in collaboration with UC San Diego before arriving on campus for a weeklong residency in October 2027, creating opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to encounter the work and exchange ideas.
Key dates
- Oct. 1, 2026: Letter of Intent submissions open
- Dec. 18, 2026: Letter of Intent deadline
- February 2027: Finalists invited to submit full proposals
- May 2027: Prize recipient announced
- Oct. 18–24, 2027: Residency and public presentation
Learn more about the UC San Diego ArtsConnect Prize.
Read more news about: School of Arts and Humanities, ArtsConnect
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